Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

Paul Rodriguez

Apr 21, 2003, 10:56 PM

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Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Hi! I am in the process of getting everything together to set off for Mexico. I plan to stay in the Lakeside area for at least six months, renting a house. I've heard that there are a couple of Costcos, Walmart and Sam Clubs in the area. I was wondering therefore, if they had many of the same services there as they do here, back Stateside... such as eye glasses and hearing aids, as well as the Kirkland brand of vitamins and other alternative health tablets like Coenyzme Q10? If they don't then I will get my glasses and hearing aid here while I can and before I go. I would appreciate any information on these questions. Paul

Uncle Donnie

Apr 25, 2003, 3:28 PM

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Re: [Paul Rodriguez] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Looks like you got a roaring response here.

I'll offer my advice then. About glasses---get them up there. If I'm not mistaken at least one of the Wal-Mart stores does have an optician but I'm willing to bet that you'll find it easier and less expensive to get that problem resolved before you come down. I'll be following my advice during my next visit to Texas.

As to hearing aids I consider my small hearing loss to be a blessing. I can ignore folks with impunity. However if you're determined to hear, there are services available down here. Again, same advice as above. The local Gringo Culture Preservation and Amateur Boxing Society offers "free hearing tests and consultation on hearing aid problems". Look on www.mexconnect/MEX/lscindex.html. This e-dress was in their annual directory. If it doesn't work try changing the "lsc" portion to "lcs". E-mail them at lcs@laguna.com.mx.

Kirkland everything is readily available down here and every town of any size has a naturopathic or allopathic doctor and at least one health food store.

My really health concious friends use stuff from the U.S. specialty companies because they feel the quality control and ingredients are far superior. We all have our individual ideas, huh?

If your questions require really detailed answers let me know by private post and I'll try to get exact info for you. Under terms of my local probation I occasionally get special dispensation for a quick trip to Guad, although I'm no longer allowed near the airport.

Shameless self-promotion:
http://www.headformexico.com

esperanza

Apr 25, 2003, 4:16 PM

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Re: [Uncle Donnie] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Here's my experience of new prescription glasses from Costco in Guadalajara: they were about half the price of the same glasses (including eye exam, new frames, and trifocals) as they would have been in the USA, they took a week, and they got them perfectly right the first time. I couldn't have been happier.

Most Kirkland stuff is available, but there are some exceptions. For example, I used to buy 2-packs of 500-tablet bottles of Kirkland ibuprofen in the States; those are not available at Costco in Mexico. Fortunately I no longer need as much ibuprofen since there are so many fewer headaches in life here.

There's plenty of everything. There's a clump of Costco, Walmart, Sam's, and MegaMercado all in the same block on Avenida Vallarta in Guadalajara if you have to have that constellation of stuff. However, my advice is to free oneself from dependence on imported goods and buy everything where you live; it supports the community rather than the conglomerate. I like knowing that my cash goes into the corner-store till and from there to pay the bolillo baker up the street and from there to pay the bakery help and from there to the tiangueros and from there... : ^ )

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Uncle Donnie

Apr 25, 2003, 8:08 PM

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Re: [esperanza] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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I agree with buying locally but I had a different experience with getting glasses at Lakeside. The diversity of experiences and opinions is what makes it all so great down here.

And tonight as I came through Chapala things were jumpin'. It was so busy at my favorite street taco joint (Tacos El Compadre) that I decided since I had all the dogs with me I'd just go on home and have a bowl of Zucaritas. The circus is in town again evidently.

And as far as shopping goes you can find most things you need in Chapala somewhere. that's my plug for the evening.

Shameless self-promotion:
http://www.headformexico.com

Paul Rodriguez

Apr 25, 2003, 11:08 PM

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Re: [esperanza] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Thanks Esperanza. I most concerned with the cost of the hearing. Here I can get a dital one for about $950 at Costco. At the local hearing specialist, it was about 3-7 thousand per unit. You can see the difference. So, my concern was that was to see if the same savings were available down in the Lakeside area. And I agree with you totally however, I prefer to buy locally to help the people where I live. Thanks for the info. Paul

Paul Rodriguez

Apr 25, 2003, 11:10 PM

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Re: [Uncle Donnie] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Thanks Uncle Donnie. I am relieved. By the way, I plan to make it down by the end of May or beginning of June. Hope to me you at some time, and the same goes for all the others who are so generous with the information that I and others need to plan our trip. Thanks to one and all. Paul

tonyburton

Apr 26, 2003, 6:45 AM

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Re: [Paul Rodriguez] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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But bear in mind that you need to compare like with like. My wife works as a "Hearing Insrument Specialist" and I know the cost of digital aids varies enormously from one manufacturer to another, but the specifications of the aids varies greatly as well. By and large you get what you pay for (from a technical point of view). However, you will derive little or no benefit from an innapropiate or poorly calibrated aid, so paying more money does NOT guarantee you better results. Hence, your best bet is to have your hearing needs evaluated by a specialist and preferably one who works for a company that can supply numerous different brands of aid, and give you a "best fit" solution depending on your precise requirements (including your budget).

Actually, this situation is not dissimilar to the tequila debate elsewhere on this forum... There's definite advantages to not being able to hear my wife say, "That's enough tequila, dear" !

jennifer rose

Apr 26, 2003, 7:13 AM

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Re: [esperanza] Costco and Wal-mart et al

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Devlyn http://www.devlyn.com.mx/ is Mexico's version of LensCrafters, carrying everything from the cheapest frames to designer and located throughout the Republic. Frequently the space at Costco, Comercial Mexicana or Sam's is leased to Devlyn or a similar operator. It's been my experience that lenses have been much, much less costly in Mexico than in the U.S. Frames used to be more expensive here, but the price is now about the same as in the U.S.

I'm somewhat of a frames junkie, and I've been pleasantly surprised that my independent optician has been able to supply designer frames at the same price as I can find them in Chicago.

Progressive bifocals run about $100 USD/pair.

Costco's advertised price for progressives is about $79 USD.